Aftelier Sepia: fragrance review

There is an eerie feeling upon coming across a ghost town, the very cinematic experience of bypassing a highway into a smaller, abandonded scenic route into the vast countryside; all silence in the distance and blue skies passing you by above. In America ghost towns are something of a fixture in the collective unconscious, a remnant of the wild west past, the advent of industrialism and the building of autoroutes erasing bustling cities from the map.
The desolate beauty of the ruins, standing abandonded as if replete with tales of lives spent heard in whispers on the wind that blows amongst the delapidated buildings, inspired indie perfume Mandy Aftel (Aftelier perfumes) into creating an all-naturals perfume that would put decay into an elegant context, into a wearable form translating the ravages of time.

via lonewolfphotos.com

Sepia by Aftelier, the resulting perfume, utilizes the most refined and dignified of materials of sweet decay: oud wood mulling over floating ambergris; blanched, matured, patina-bearing, ghost-like...
The musty feel of both oud and cepes (the latter being the raw and damp smelling, peculiar essence of mushrooms, exalted in Mandy's Cepes and Tuberose) come out in the composition as seen through a sieve; their chunkier elements surfacing, while the rest is retreating into the distance like the vision of a ghost town while traversing through those abandonded roads of the west. Even though intense -typically gourmand, but not here!- notes such as cocoa, coffee and the multi-nuanced white tobacco are also featured in the formula, the weaving is tight, none of them peaking above the others. You'd be hard-pressed to distinguish one from the other. This dry woods perfume doesn't make any compromise.

Instead the floralcy of yellow mandarin along austere cedarwood and the musty notes open Sepia, predesposing someone for something strong which soon belies that impression: the fragrance becomes earthier, darker and more mysterious while continuously subtle. Aftel used other intriguing essences, such as pink lotus for a lighter feel, a hint of wine facet from berry notes, full bodied indolic jasmine and labdanum, usually the recipe for an animalic floral.

Sepia however defies such predictable seduction tricks. It is above all a play on atmosphere, an inwards  journey into what is left in our soul upon encountering a mirage, an illusion, a decaying thing of beauty. Is it there or is it not? And as such it is best savoured intellectually and with all our senses on the alert.

Notes for Aftelier Sepia:

Top: blood cedarwood, yellow mandarin, pink grapefruit

Middle: pink lotus, strawberry, jasmine grandiflorum, cocoa, coffee

Base: flowering tobacco, oud, indole, ambergris, cepes, labdanum


Sepia is available in liquid parfum (1.4oz), EDP spray and sample spray atomizer, mini bottle and liquid sample vial directly through the Aftelier site. 

A Pleasant Surprise

Ever have done something which was still in a liquid state, so to speak, walked away from it and then forgot all about it? This happened to me yesterday.

The FiFi Awaards Finalists Breakfast was held on April 27th at the Mandarin Oriental in NYC and long-distance I suddenly learn I made it to the 2012 Finalists for Editorial Excellence on my article published last December! My editor at The Perfume Magazine, Raphaella Barkley thus garnered two noms, the other being by her contributor Neil Stenberg. Congrats go to Victoria from Bois de Jasmin for her winning article. All the finalists of the editorial categories and perfume categories can be found on the Fifi Awards blog with links.

If you're interested to read my article on "On Making Sense out of Scents" (concerning the structure of perfume and why notes don't always correspond to what you smell), please refer to this link.

To friends who asked me in email why articles on here weren't in the run (never have been, actually), this is because although invited to, the blog isn't based in the US (even if it appears to sometimes thanks to readability across the pond), which is a basic requirement for entering. I have to thank Raphaella for both times picking my articles on her webzines, trusting in me and submitting them herself to such happy results. All accolades to her!

Win Aftelier perfumes: Giveaway of Sepia and Secret Garden

Here at the Shrine I have long tried to provide readers with the chance to try out expensive or rare samples on the cheap (actually for free! I pay for shipping, you don't pay for anything), knowing just how difficult it is to come across a precious vintage or how costly it is to obtain a precious, all naturals perfume. Sharing this passion for trying new things is perhaps the best satisfaction of them all. In that regard, I hope that several people have derived pleasure from the draws & giveaways hosted here and today is just another chance for one!

Up for grabs for one lucky winner are two small but substantial atomisers of Aftelier's latest Sepia perfume (review coming up shortly!) and Aftelier Secret Garden perfume. These all naturals perfumes are highly regarded and the sampling provides a chance of trying out before investing.
Enter a comment to be eligible for the draw. Draw is open internationally and expires on May 1st midnight.
And I'm leaving you with some soothing Renaissance music to savour on a Saturday morning.

My Troubles with Rose (and Overcoming Them One Step at a Time)

I admit it: It took hard work on my part to appreciate rose for what it is and to familiarize myself with the better grades of rose absolutes and fragrances that highlight this noble material. But let's take things at the top: Why did I have any trouble with rose in the first place? Bad associations is one thing: toilet freshners and dusty pot-pouri left standing for ages have not done much to make rose an appreciated note. But it went deeper than that. 

 
I had always pictured rose lovers as romantic creatures (but a specific type of it that differs from what I embrace) who love interiors dressed in ice-cream pastels, dresses with lots of chiffon and lace in pretty, feminine shades of pinks and salmons, hair up in disheveled buns, leafing through retrospectives of the New York City Ballet. They adore being offered flowers on a first date, get treated to a dinner at a posh restaurant and can watch a rom-com anytime. Their china is patterned with tiny flowers edged in gold, their jewlery is dainty, pretty and vintage girly. They cherish Jane Austin and find the money-related matrimonial wannabe woes of the heroines utterly charming. Perhaps they have been dreaming and planning their wedding ever since they knew how to talk. It recalled instant Victoriana to my mind, even if Austin's more Empire really if we're to be period-appropriate. (Call it typecasting. Call it prejudice, if you prefer, you're probably right anyway).

I am none of those above things, for better or worse: I always prefered the Bronte sisters' dark and gloom, I dress in dramatic black and white (or red!) with bold accents of jewels when the mood strikes, firmly prefer wood & baroque interiors to "pretty" things and detest frou frou in almost everything. My china bears simple platinum meanders on the edge and nothing else and I didn't have a wedding plan in my head until I actually really, really had to. I equate romanticism with gothic literature, strong passions damaging everything in sight and Chopin préludes, preferably visualising the composer coughing up a bloody storm under that damp roof in the Majorca. Not a pretty picture, eh?

So I considered it natural that roses -and rose fragrances that replicate the scent of the flower- didn't hold much appeal on me. And yet, there was definitely rose in several perfumes which I found irresistible from a young age on: Paris by Yves Saint Laurent for one, with its violet-laced delectability, making the rose powdery, soft and tender as a feather or a sweet young mother's embrace. Or et Noir by Caron is full of it. Chanel No.5 also has lots. I had been presented with rose otto from the Bulgarian valley of the roses when in elementary school (gift from a relative who visited) and was hypnotized by the lushness.
I later read all about damascones and damascenones, ingredients which give fruity nuances of apple and plum to roses and a fluorescent glow. I had smelled roses deeply and compared with the differing essence rendered which resembles liqueur or powder or sometimes wine and marvelled on the facets of artichoke peaking! Somerset Maugham had likened rose's splendor to such a poetic concept: "Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger. There is really nothing to be said about it. It is like the perfume of a rose: you can smell it and that is all." I had to explore more...

Of course Sommerset Maugham was English. Does this bear any relation to my quest? Plenty, as you will see.

I also always pegged rose lovers as decidedly Anglo-Saxon, you see (that Liberty style print had no doubt influenced me profoundly, as well as the expression "English rose" for pretty UK ladies), with the corresponding flaxen, auburn or chestnut hair and peaches n'cream complexion under northern lights. What could this "clean", pretty look have to do with my striking black on fair contrast under the blinding Med sun? I admired Guerlain Nahéma, which was more my speed by all accounts, but somehow it seemed too intrusive for what I considered the last bastion of mystery, perfume... I had never actually met a grown woman in my culture who was crazy for roses anyway, nor did I meet anyone else for that matter outside that group who did.

But English and American (and a few Australian) women I got to know were really bent on roses and this made me think. Long and hard. Why is it that such a difference exists? And why are several young women so averse to roses? It is indeed a prefered scent of grannies, who do have a penchant for Victoriana, one assumes because it reminds them of a glamourised time when they saw their own parents as demi-gods. How come Stella by Stella McCartney is such a popular fragrance in the 20-30 age group nevertheless? (This is the same mystery as young women theoretically not liking "powdery scents" and yet going ga-ga for Kenzo Flower or DK Cashmere Mist!) And why is D&G Rose The One targeted to young ones? Francis Kurkdjian has practically built a career upon selling roses to the young, given them his gleaming sheen trademark. Surely they should be enough interest from a significant sector in the market to guarantee houses as the Parfums de Rosine -with its illustrious historical name and its pleiad of variations on the rose- to flourish.

 Alberto Morillas gave me a partial answer to that question when he presented Valentina de Valentino, explaining why the fragrance didn't contain rose even though Valentino himself uses it as a motif a lot: "Honestly, it's not easy to make roses 'young'," he shrugged. "It's a scent often associated with older ladies and jasmine is far younger. And although you do have roses in Italy, it's not really the essence of the country."

So, two factors then: Geographical location (my juvenile hypothesis had some substance after all) and age grouping. I don't know if it's a sign of maturing on my part, as the passage of time has made my stance towards roses more elastic, or really my persistence on overcoming this hesitation; but it could be both. More than a mere matter of chronological age, it might have to do with the maturing process of realizing what one categorically rejected during their teen "angst" years and the "mapping identity" early 20s, one is more lenient on accepting later on.

Therefore apart from the "bastard" roses which I always found intriguing and beguiling despite myself, such as Voleur de Roses by L'Artisan Parfumeur, Rose d'Homme by Parfums de Rosine, Rose Poivrée by The Different Company,  Une Rose Chypree by Tauer perfumes and Epic for Women by Amouage, I began to find myself attracted to sheerer, more tender, less artsy, well, rosier(!) fragrances. After all rose can take on myriad of nuances: from soft and powdery, to childlike and tender, to green with a hint of the dew on the leaves, to nectarous and honeyed and fruity, passionate and full, all the way to dark, angular and gothic.

I discovered the Annick Goutal rose fragrances Rose Absolue, Rose Splendide and Quel Amour, the whimsical little sister to the violet-rose combo of Paris in the charming Drôle de Rose by L'Artisan Parfumeur, the stupendous Lyric by Amouage, the greener and softer nuances in Rose Barbare by Guerlain. Briar Rose by Ineke. F.Malle animalic and "femme" Une Rose. The lovely and very true to a budding rose smell Rose 4 Reines by L'Occitane. The green & citrusy grapefruit tinge of Rose Ikebana in the Hermessences.
It seems have managed to overcome my fear and trepidation (hurray!), studying and playing with this regal blossom that yields such extraordinary results.
And then I come across such a different, iconoclastic take on rose such as the spicy, intense Cinabre by Maria Candida Gentile and I realize nothing's changed really: you can't get the poésie romanesque out of the girl, even if you add some mainstream, expected romance to it.

 And what about you? Is there a perfume note or material which you have been battling with for some time? I'd love to hear your stories!

pics via sansmith/pinterest , linda edmonson/pinterest,sheisfilledwithsecrets.tumblr.com

The winner of the draw...

....for the Swarovski bottle of perfume is Katrina and the waves. Congratulations and please email me with your shipping data so I can have this out in the mail for you soon!

Thanks everyone for the enthusiastic participation and till the next (very interesting!) one.

S-Perfumes S-Perfume Classic: fragrance review

The blinding white of Oia on Santorini island, Greece, against the pale blue of the natural pools contained within some of its cave-houses is not totally alien to the idea behind S-Perfume Classic by super-niche brand S-Perfumes.The same feeling of freshness and serenity -and perversly enough energy as well- reigns in both.

Source: bluepueblo.tumblr.com via Perfume on Pinterest

The S-Perfume "house" began in 2000, the first all-original perfumery to come out of Brooklyn, New York, though not the first one to be founded by a completely unrelated to perfumery individual. Nobi Shioya is a sculptor with an interest in scent who used various fragrances to scent his “Olfactory Art” installations. Nobi ~under the nom de plume Sacré Nobi~ brought on board perfume veterans such as Carlos Benaim and Sophia Grojsman. As Chandler Burr said: “Shioya shares with the scent-architect Frédéric Malle a Woody Allen-ish knack for convincing stars to work for him.” They began to create a series of scents as an art project with very fancy ad copy and very limited distribution  (Which sorta begs the question how the hell did certain non-professional people get on his wares so very, very early on, but I'll leave this to the more sleuthing among you). Word of mouth made the brand something of a mini-cult, not always deservedly (From the newly relaunched and pared down to three range S-ex is by far the most interesting and 100%Love the most wearable).

S-Perfume Classic was originally composed by Alberto Morillas under the project name Jet-Set 1.0 (all the S-Perfumes had conceptual names back then, taking inspiration from the seven deadly sins originally and later taking abstract names such as 100% Love). Christophe Laudamiel re-orchestrated it somewhat to its current formula, sold now as S-Perfume "classic". The label also changed, this time bearing a sort of sketching protozoon (or spermatozoon, if you prefer).

The ambience of the S-Perfume Classic is that of contemporary non-scents: Like Molecule 01 from Escentric Molecules, this is something that doesn't quite register on the cortex but moves like an abstract clean-musky aura around, coming in and out of focus. The ozonic, oxygen touch coupled with the "clean" factor of lavender, aromatic somewhat masculine-smelling herbs and sanitized musk -consisting of the familiar to all via functional products Galaxolide musk type- soon eschews all images of sensuality (The official notes mention creamy, cozy ingredients such as sandalwood and vanilla substituted by Laudamiel for the benzoin which Morillas had used, which nevertheless should not at any rate lead you to believe that we're dealing with a predominantly sensual affair of a skin-scent; the most you get is a hint, a tiny hint of suntan oil at a distance).
On the contrary, S-Perfume Classic has the salty zingy skin-like smelling effect of L'Eau Ambrée by Prada, airated by the coolness encountered in Serge Lutens's L'Eau Froide (but arrived to through totally different means) and is not a classic warm "beachy" fragrance.

Morillas had utilized the "clean" and "energetic" idea to impressive effect already in CK One (collaborating with Harry Fremont) and Mugler's Cologne, balanced with subtler salty-skin and herbs accents in the discontinued CK Truth (with Jacques Cavallier and Thierry Wasser)and adding a touch of cool spice in Bulgari's BLV. Laudamiel emphasized the somewhat rubbery facets recalling neoprene with a subtle woody-powdery finish that is sometimes perceptible and sometimes is not. But it's the shiny, almost hurting the eyes oxygen blast, as squeeky clean as the eyesore one gets upon opening their windows to a blinding white winter day decked in a yard of snow, or the whiteness of the water inside a surf wave, which stay in one's memory.

Notes for S-Perfume Classic: ozonic note, muguet mist, thyme, lavender, musks, sandalwood, vanilla bourbon

Tryvge Harris: "None of the ouds in any of those commercial perfumes are real. None."

In an interesting interview of Trygve Harris on FragranceScout, the owner of Enfleurage NYC (dedicated to natural essences of the highest grade, including the very rare gardenia essence) who lives in Oman reveals some (not so astounding surely if you have been following our pages here for some time) facts about oud/aoudh and its commercial inclusion in perfumes, mainstream and niche alike. If you don't know the first thing about oud (rather unlikely unless you had been living under a rock for the past 3-4 years) you can consult our Perfume Raw Material: Oud/Aoudh/Agarwood article; it should get you started and correct some misconceptions.

via anyasgarden.blogspot.com

Asked if one can find a good quality oud, Harris answers that there is no chance any more; "high quality Lao (and Vietnamese, Cambodian, & Thai) [oud] is finished." Of course this is where the synthetic bases popularised these past few years which have given rise to the abundance of "oud" perfumes in the market: almost one release in every eight is about oud at this pace. She also explains that even "real aoudh" used is usually just the dried chips, bearing no resin left, treated so they give off some scent, but not the authentic oud smell. "A great deal of oud is just chemical, or reconstituted. Almost all. I would say you have .01% chance of finding a real pure one. And none of the ouds in any of those commercial perfumes are real. None. It would be madness to create something for the mass market, or even a “niche market” using raw materials whose availability, origin and price are so random."
As to whether this trend for oud will stay with us, she's pretty categorical: "There is just no way that so many Westerners are connect with oud."

All in all a very interesting and frank interview to Giovanni.

Swarovski Aura: Bottle Giveaway

I have a brand new bottle of Swarovski's Aura fragrance from which only 5ml have been decanted for reviewing purposes. It is eligible for readers of this site. Just put a comment in saying what would be your ideal interpretation of crystal into perfume form and you're in the draw.

Draw remains open till Thursday 26th April midnight.

Profumum Roma Soavissima: fragrance review

Her presence still lingered.
Her petticoat had left unequivocal traces.
Trails of intense scent that lit boundless fires.

This is how Profumum Roma presents Soavissima. Profumum is a niche Italian brand founded in Rome in 1996 and Soavissima was launched in 2006. The official accords talk about amber, white flowers, animalic and powdery notes, but of this only the powder and ambery stuff comes through distintcly. And that, not quite, as one would be accustomed through various incarnations of resinous, sacerdotal ambers circulating in niche perfumery for years: The powderiness in Soavissima comes through heaps of heliotrope, a soft iris accord and that rosy nuance of goose-down puffs heavy with powder in which a bit of amber is felt, like the whisper that is left on the skin when you apply an ambery perfume several hours before. It's a sweet ambience, perhaps a tad intense for some. It can also veer into "baby powder" territory, that vat of Johnson's talc, aromatized with vanilla, hints of lavender and orange blossoms. Its feminine, motherly embrace is its predominant trait, a quality that can be polarising. More than a slipper-footed dame in her boudoir powdering her face, it recalls gusts of powder going on 18th century wigs; an element of excess and theatricality is built within the scent.

Soavissima firmly belongs to the sweet powdery realm where Teint de Neige by Lorenzo Villoresi and Keiko Mecheri's Loukhoum rule. On the other hand it has some of the inedible sweetness of the aldehydic soapiness that Chanel No.22 and White Linen by Lauder possess. It also approaches Profumum's own Confetto with its similar base of fuzzy heliotrope-ambery powderiness. The sillage/projection of Soavissima is tremendous so go easy on the application and the lasting power quite satisfying for the price.

The Soavissima line is complimented by a body lotion, a shower product and a room fragrance. Sold at boutique sites, such as Luckyscent. (and in brick and mortar in various countries, even in Thessaloniki in Xeen Ltd)

photo of Lord Mortimer/Bedlam v ia sparksinelectricaljelly.blogspot.com and of makeup brush via clothingbrands24.com

Which Chanel Perfume is for You?

"For me this is Chanel," says [Marian] Bendeth. "Austere, analytical, powerful, yet highly feminine and devastatingly sensual. The woman who wears this has exquisite taste."

Marian Bendeth of Sixth Scents is an industry fixture, a renowned specialist and a powerful interviewer; it's been an honour to have her contribute on Perfume Shrine in the past. Marian specializes in creating fragrance wardrobes for her clients based on personality, body chemistry and lifestyle and a propos this task she offered a most insightful little guide on the CanadianLiving site on which personality is expressed through your choice of Chanel Les Exclusifs perfume. Do you go for the classic elegance of Chanel No.22 or the unconventional femininity of Cuir de Russie? The pastoral prettiness of Bel Respiro or the austere yet sensuous ambience of 31 Rue Cambon fragrance?

Read the whole article here. (NB. Some of the newer inclusions, namely Chanel Beige, Sycomore and Jersey are lacking)

Let's expand this: Which is the perfume that best describes your personality?  

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Chanel Les Exclusifs perfume reviews


pic of Chanel's bathroom via bleauog.blogspot.com

Fragrance Trends: Mandarin, Note du Jour

Apart from the re-edition of L'Artisan Parfumeur Mandarine (previously Mandarine tout Simplement) we had reported a while ago, there are a few more mandarin-inspired fragrances circulating or launching for 2012, enough to note a trend. Not coincidentally, mandarin orange is THE hot colour of the moment in fashion as well, if Pantone's seasonal predictions are anything to go by (Their Tangerine Tango is a hue of orange-y coral that approximates a great ripe mandarin fruit). My favourite mandarin-inspired perfume remains Serge Lutens's Mandarine Mandarin  for its complexity and rich nuances which run the gamut from tangy green to nectarous ripe to almost mouldy.

via vendernaranjas.com

Now here's a short list of new releases featuring the note du jour, mandarin orange:

4711 Acqua  Colonia Mandarine & Cardamome (by Muelhens)
Aftelier Sepia
Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau Fraiche (two trends in one, the "eau fraiche" has returned with a vengeance)
Coach Signature summer 2012 limited edition
Donna Karan Essence Mandarin
L'Artisan Parfumeur Mandarine

Do you have a favorite mandarin orange themed fragrance to recommend?

another take on the hipness of mandarin can be found on fragrantica

Tom Ford Private Blend Tuscan Leather: fragrance review

Created in 2007 by perfumers Harry Frémont and Jacques Cavallier for the Tom Ford Private Blend line, Tuscan Leather is an atypical leather fragrance not quite for everyone; leather enthusiasts might find enough quirks and crannies to elaborate on, but still be puzzled by its antithetical, polarising nature.

via stickssn.org

On one hand, the introductory blast of petrol fumes plus red fruits (mainly the tart scent of raspberries) is not exactly conductive to what people have come to expect from luxury leather blends. The expected pipe tobacco-leather upholstery richness with its fruity, bittersweet and whiskey nuances contrasts intellectually with the effect witnessed here. We have also been familiarised with the fuzzy apricot and amaretto-apricot-pits ambience of Lutens's Daim Blond, for a suede-like scent, but the tartness of berries offsets the leathery pungency here rather than mollify it. The leather perfume note in the Tom Ford is rubbery, smoky, like shoe polish and cool tires. If your elegant leather ideal has always been Chanel's Cuir de Russie, Tom Ford proposes a modern take on leather, but with much less vanilla and musks than in Bvlgari's rubbery Black.

On the other hand, pungent but restrained and under specific circumstances even velvety, with a true leathery note like a nubuck handbag fresh off the mending shop, Tuscan Leather is a cross between luxury items, new bucket seats in your new Bentley and furniture polish smeared generously on wooden planks. The leathery nuance by saffron, bittersweet,  fits perfectly. There is even a hemp like note, and I was under the impression I was delusional until I saw The Non Blonde claim the same. The terpenic, pine-like facets, revealing themselves through resinous citrusy elements (frankincense being one), are jarring, instead of airy or citric like in Etro's Gomma. Perhaps even more jarring by the addition of an oud base, a direction in which Montale followed with his Aoud Leather two years later. Perversely, the more the fragrance stays on, the more the raspberry comes through. Trippy!

Essentially linear, Tuscan Leather projects well and lasts average. In a pinch, if you sprayed Givenchy's Hot Couture over a gritty leather armchair, preferably in a newly polished library, you might start getting what this is all about. Butcher on women's skin than on men's but also sweeter in the final whisper, it's a unisex fragrance like all the Tom Ford Private Blends, which demands trying on first. It's not for shy, girly-girl women or men lacking self confidence.

Notes for Tom Ford Private Blend Tuscan Leather:
Raspberry, thyme, saffron, jasmine, olibanum, leather, oud/aoudh/agarwood.

Tom Ford Tuscan Leather is available in 50ml and 100ml bottles (from what I have seen, other Private Blends come in 250ml) of Eau de Parfum in select doors where the Tom Ford Private Blend is sold.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Leather Fragrances reviews series, Tom Ford news & reviews

Guerlain Muguet 2012 and Mon Precieux Nectar: new fragrances

Guerlain is re-issuing their ultra-limited-edition of Muguet perfume, each year with a new twist, for May 1st 2012, celebrating the good luck charm that is lily-of-the-valley given on that day. This year, Guerlain head perfumer Thierry Wasser signs a perfume adorned with a valuable "necklace" from the French house of Gripoix. This limited edition circulates in only 1250 flacons worldwide.

Guerlain Muguet 2012 includes fragrant notes of lily of the valley, lilac and rose. The light green juice, symbolising freshness and coolness is held in a bottle that holds 60ml/2oz. The perfume is sold at Guerlain boutiques on April 30th ONLY.
Previous editions of Guerlain Muguet can be seen in this collage photo below.And here is a short guide into identifying the various editions of Guerlain Muguet perfume per year of release.

Mon Précieux Nectar by Guerlain is a re-edition of a previous extrait de parfum composition from 2009 which had been offered only in 1 litre Val Saint Lambert "urn" numbered bottles (1 L pure Parfum at the retail price of $9,000 or 6000 €!). Now the scent is presented encased in the classic "bee" bottles of the boutique exclusive Les Parisiennes line. (270$ for 125ml of Eau de Parfum extrait de parfum). *[NB. There is some discussion as to whether this is  EDP or the actual exrait de parfum formula: Mr.Guerlain has posted a Facebook photo in which "extrait" is written on the tester bottle right besides the Parisienne bottle, which makes perfect sense. This is actually the case as confirmed, so then allow me to consider Guerlain was seriously ripping everyone off just 3 years ago....tsk tsk tsk....]

The fragrance itself is credited to Thierry Wasser and -as before- includes fragrant notes of petit-grain, bitter almond, orange blossom, jasmine, sandalwood, gaiacwood, vanilla, white musk and incense. (see the description of Mon Précieux Nectar extrait de parfum from 2009 here).

Obviously the 1L parfum idea hasn't gone down as well as anticipated commercially....?

collage pic via www.perfumediary.com, other pics via mr.Guerlain facebook

Dior Escale a Parati: new fragrance

Christian Dior and their head perfumer François Demachy are continuing the Cruise Collection of "Les Escales" (port of call) fragrances for summer-wearing with Escale à Parati for 2012. Previous offerings in the Cruise Collection include Escale à Portofino (2008), Escale à Pondichéry (2009) and Escale aux Marquises (2010).

Escale à Parati by Christian Dior finds its inspiration in Brazil; not coincidentally, taking in mind that Brazil is the most rapidly growing fragrance market (remember the launch of Batucada by L'Artisan Parfumeur?). Parati (or Paraty) is an historical tourist town in Brazil, situated on the Costa Verde near Rio de Janeiro.
Dior's Escale à Parati is meant to be shared between the sexes, providing a light air inspired by the Costa Verde and its atmosphere of fun, dance and music. The fragrance includes citrusy and woody notes of bitter orange (bigaradier), lemon, petit-grain, rosewood, mint, cinnamon, red berries and tonka bean.

Available as 75 and 125 ml Eau de Toilette from June 2012 at major department stores.

Serge Lutens Santal Blanc: Paris exclusive line in bell jar bottle

Just the other day I was saying how my rumours of more than two years ago were slowly materialising one by one. No need to gloat or repeat myself, just a confirmation that reportage goes a long way and things take an extremely slow route when getting changed: Santal Blanc, a former Lutens export fragrance is becoming a Parisian exclusive in the bell jars. (there's still some stock on the oblong export bottles, so grab those if your life depends on it). It's official folks, stop denying it. And yes, I know one needs a compass and a guide to make way out of the changing policies of the Lutens line. *sigh*

You know what follows right? (Don't say I didn't give you ample warning)

Hermes Discontinuing Ambre Narguile in the USA?

The info originated from a newsletter email from a personal shopper on Ebay, who assures that availability of the scent is sustainable in France (and the rest of Europe I surmiss, wherever the Hermessences perfumes are available of course). This does taint the news a bit beyond the 100% certified, but phonecalls to the NYC Hermès boutique seem to confirm there are no bottles left right now. A quick check on the US Hermes site also indicates there's no Ambre Narguilé to be sold, though there is some on other international official pages. This latter evidence isn't conclusive nevertheless, as in the past whenever there was some shortage of supply, there was an occasional dissapearence of something from the pages. But all combined, they do pose a weird situation.

Given that Ambre Narguilé has been a steady best-seller in the Hermessences (especially in America) from day one and that the cut-off of distribution seems regional rather than pandemic for the moment, it does present its own little puzzle: It can't be IFRA ingredients restrictions, as that would mean a global cease on production, not just a localised one (plus it would make sense there would be first a European shortage and only later a US one, not the reverse). It can't be a distribution problem, as Hermès is itself responsible for that and what goes for one would go for all. It can't be low sales, because....well, you know that ain't it.

Plus, a tantalising detail for those who are meticulous: If you go to the US Hermes site and try to fill a gift box with all four travel bottles of Ambre Narguilé, then lo and behold, it lets you do it and the item goes into your shopping basket, no questions asked.

Bottom line: Something smells fishy; I smell a false rumour.

This is how the delicious Ambre Narguilé fragrance is officially described:

"Amber honey with swirls of smoke from the East. Savory, sensual, enveloping.

"Amber, the Western expression of Eastern fragrances, has a warm, enveloping, almost carnal smell. I wanted to imbue this idea of amber with the memory of the East I love where tobacco - blended with the smells of fruit, honey and spices - is smoked in narguilés, or water pipes, and where swirls of smoke diffuse a sweet sense of intoxication. 

Jean-Claude Ellena

Be sure to click on the little icon under the JCE quote on the UK official page to hear the perfumer talk about it and to hear it pronounced properly in French.

For those in the US who are desperate to get their Ambre Narguilé fix, in the meantime, you can appease yourselves with -if not an exact dupe, then a close alternative- Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf.

Related reading on PerfumeShrine: Hermes news & fragrance reviews

Madonna Thinking of Launching A Men's Fragrance?

The ink has barely dried on the reviews on Madonna's first celebrity fragrance, Truth or Dare, and the famous singer is taunting us with hints of an upcoming release that will involve the gentlemen this time around. Will this new venture involve raiding the liquor cabinet? You'll be the judge after reading some of her comments on the issue and about her daughter Lourdes's preferences in fragrances.

“I think it would be good to do a men’s fragrance, as well,” the pop star revealed to WWD, clarifying it took her 15 years to reach a point where she felt what she wanted could be met for her first eponymous scent. “My daughter thinks so. She wants to wear it. She likes to wear men’s cologne —don’t ask me why.
"I love musk and amber and woody kind of fragrances on men. I love the smell of whiskey —we should make a men’s cologne that smells like whiskey. I can’t drink it, it’s too strong, but it smells amazing —a really good old whiskey.”

pic via the look today msnbc.msn.com

Orange, Rosewater & Mint Tisane in Le Divorce: Erotic Recipe for Women

James Ivory has long been considered the most "British" of American directors, at least going by his Ismail Merchant collaboration (usually with Ruth Prawer Jhabvala in screenwriting/adaptation), which has produced such delicate cinematic gems as Room with a View, The Remains of the Day and Howard's End. In 2003's Le Divorce, however, he tries his hand on the old cultural war between Les Americains et les Français, instead, based on a novel by Diane Johnson. A weak link in Ivory's formidable record, mainly due to an indecision as to what his main focus will be, the film nevertheless produces interesting and subtle little snippets of the cultural and ideological chasm between the two nations in high style and an all-star cast.

Kate Hudson as Isabel Walker is an American film school dropout who jets off to Paris when her pregnant step-sister Roxy (played by Naomi Watts) is abandoned by her French husband. Soon, Isabel has a scandal of her own when she falls for an older French man, Edgar Cosset, who's related to Roxy's cheating husband and is a far-right politician. Totally out of her waters, the nubile, originally hippyish Isabel lets herself be metamorphosized into a chic butterfly, through the sophistication-adding tricks of a bob cut, soigné makeup, co-ordinated wardrobe, an Hermès red Kelly 28 bag given to her as a gift (really, a stand-alone character in the film, a status symbol prop made into powerful allusion), intimate trysts following elaborate four-course meals, and racy lingerie brought for the sheer pleasure of getting out of it.

There all sorts of clichés too, accounting to French character assasination, mainly involving cheating Frenchmen, conservative French women, manners & propriety above essence and a contrasting augmented sense of sincerity on the part of Americans as opposed to the Europeans, which involve a pleiad of secondary characters (but true stars, such as Glen Close, Stockard Channing, French legend Leslie Caron, Jean Marc Barr, Matthew Modine etc). If you have been to Paris, it's also a trip down memory lane, as besides the Louvre and the final, downspiral kerfuffle at the Eiffel Tower, you will recognize beautiful Parisian locales such as Cafe de Flore and Le Georges.

But the most characteristic scene in Le Divorce~well, for us fumenerds noticing such details anyway~ takes place when Isabel's older French lover hands her down a secret erotic recipe in bed, telling her to drink it before lovemaking to make the love juices smell fragrant: "That's something you would never have found out in Santa Barbara!" he tells her naughtily (You just want to bitch slap him, that's how smugly he delivers the line!).
A stereotype though it might sound, as liberated and sexually free the American woman is, catering for her lover's pleasure in such a subtle way is not considered the norm. This special tisane symbolizes a favour to the male, a preparation in anticipation of erotic ecstacy, a foregone conclusion, a subjugation of the feminist to the concubine, recalling how Chinese concubines were fed  deer musk so as to make their bodies exude fragrant fumes from every pore when stroked by their lovers...

Of course there are hundreds of erotic recipes for potions, ointments, unguents and powders to enhance the sexual act. The recipe in Le Divorce involves a special tisane, brewed of mint leaves in orange and rosewater, sipped before the sexual act. The herbs and essences chosen are not random: Apart from their health benefits and aromatic properties, imparting a delicious fragrant steam when sipping, they balance the hormones and open the mind for the pleasure of the senses. Mint is easy on the stomach and excellent for steadying the nerves and for nausea. Rose hips are the seed pods left behind when the rose blossoms fade in autumn. Their sweet and sour tonality is very enjoyable in tisanes, giving a refined, feminine taste. Coupled with orange, coming from the peeled rind of the orange fruit itself, the taste is sweet and bracing, balancing the other ingredients and providing a sensual rounding.
This is an easy recipe to make by yourself, adjusting the ratio of plants to suit your own taste. Just peel a ripe orange, boil the rind with some mint leaves (or a mint teabag) and a rosehips tea bag and you're good to go! After all, in the movie the exact measurements are pointedly never given and there is a sense of received irony when Isabel asks for exact directions as to when to drink and how much. Like French seduction, spontaneity goes further than a pre-planned go-by-the-book approach...



pics via wwcinemastyle.blogspot.com and toutlecine.com

Olea Sancta: The Mysterious Alchemy of the Holy "Myhro"

Among the arcane fragrant mixes in existence, be it from antiquity or from more recent years, Olea Sancta (holy oil) is perhaps the most wide-spread and yet most elusive. This is the name given to what is commonly refered to among Orthodox Christians as "holy myhro" (though it's intricately more complex than simple myrrh, as you will see below); the scented oil used for the consecration of the Holy Chrism*, an annointing ritual of particular importance in the Orthodox Church as it is believed that the fragrant oil imparts the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon the converts, following baptism. As the Orthodox Easter is drawing closer and the heavy-toll, mourning sounds of the church bells outside my windows is resounding on Good Friday, I am reminded of the ritual of the manufacturing of Olea Sancta which takes place during the Holy Week at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, roughly every ten years. But Olea Sancta has ancient uses beyond catechism: it was used for the coronation of Orthodox kings and emperors and during establishing new churches, sprinkled on the Holy Abode. And it's also used (in heavy dilution alas, as I can attest) on Holy Wednesday, when people gather at the church to hear the liturgy and partake in the "ιερό ευχέλαιο" and be reminded of the unknown woman who bathed Jesus's feet and scented him with spikenard from an alabaster...The mystagogy during this ritual, with the lamenting sounds of the Byzantine tradition sung in the distance, is hair-raising.

This year is one when the "holy myro" was prepared once again and indeed the Olea Sancta εψήθη/ was "cooked" in the Fanari neighbourhood, in the courtyard of the Patriarchate under a specially designed canopy, which prompted this posting of mine. The preparation of the Chrism in the Patriarchate is carried out by the college of the Kosmētores Myrepsoí (Κοσμήτορες Μυρεψοί, "Deans Perfumers"), presided by the Árchōn Myrepsós, the "Lord Perfumer". The incumbent Archon Myrepsos is biochemist Prodromos Thanasoglou.

The materials going into the manufacture of the Holy Chrism comprise ancient herbs, exotic peels and essential oils, of which the most important is Bulgarian rose absolute provided by the Orthodox Church of Bulgaria.The components of Olea Sancta with different variations and additions appear in catalogs from as far back as the 8th century AD until the late 19th century. The inspiration comes from the description by Moses in the book of Exodus and the holy anointment oil began being manufactured crudely in the 2nd century AD. Initially the ingredients were 13, as named in a Berber Code from the 8th century. In 1951, during the tenure of Athinagoras Ecumenical Patriarch, the recipe was established as including 57 ingredients, each with its own mystical, symbolic use.

The full recipe of Olea Sancta reads like a journey into the fragrant products of the Mediterranean and the Indian peninsula: extra virgin olive oil, wine, orange blossom water, cinnamon, iris rhizome, Chios mastic resin, bay leaves, Bulgarian rose absolute, angelica, marjoram (σάψιχο), lavender, nutmeg, citrus peel, cloves, rosemary, myrrh resin, elemi, labdanum, cassia, turpentine, styrax, oud (ξυλοβάλσαμο), cyperus, μυροβάλανος (a dried drupe fruit from India which exudes a myrrh-like aroma), black pepper, ginger, myrtle, spikenard (i.e. Nardostachys jatamansi),  and valerian root (also called Indian leaves). Also used is natural deer musk, the animal secretion from the gland of the male deer, procured many decades ago, and natural ambergris.

The "epsisis"(maceration) is just as intricate: it begins on Good Monday morning after Mass, when the basic ingredients of Chrism are sanctified during a special sequence, headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch. The sprinkling with holy water boilers, utensils and materials are sprinkled with holy water. Double and triple candlesticks are lit, illuminating each of the five boilers. The fire is fanned on wood coming from disfigured old icons only. Reading continues from bishops and priests who alternate at regular intervals.

The procedure follows the same standard layout on Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday, when the Oil now clear, is poured into a large silver urns, silver in small containers, as well as alabaster, then transferred to the Patriarchal Chapel of St. Andrew . From there on the morning of Holy Thursday the procession moves to the Patriarchal Church where 24 priests hold the 12 jars and 35 bishops hold silver and alabaster vessels while the patriarch who holds a silver bowl. During the liturgy the Chrism is consecrated. From then on, the Olea Sancta is ready to be safekept in the Myrofylakio, the "myro safe keeping" special reserve at the Patriarchate.

This fragrant tradition bears the mystery of old with every drop deposited on the forehead and the palms of the hands, remininding us that scent and man have travelled together through the eons.

*It is similar to one of the three oils used in the Catholic tradition, but there it is prepared with just balsam instead [the Catholic holy oils include Oil of the Sick ("Oleum Infirmorum") Oil of Chrism ("Sanctum Chrisma"), and Oil of Catechumens( "Oleum Catechumenorum"), of which only Chrism is scented, the rest being simply sanctioned olive oil]

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: 
Joan of Arc and Egyptian Mummies Tied by Scent, 
The Mystery of Egyptian Elixirs

Traditional Greek Orthodox hymn "Mystifying" recited by actress Katerina Lehou, sung by Sophia Manou.

New Decanting Site: Surrender to Chance

Lisa Lawler and Patty White, two of the founding (now former) members of The Perfumed Court, have created a new sample/decant site: Surrender to Chance. The unique name came about on a recent trip to Morocco, where they realized their vision of the world of perfume was expanding beyond the scope of their previous venture. They believe perfume is fun and want people to surrender the way they think about perfume, to take a chance and try something completely different .

The new site will provide decants of niche/mainstream//indie/discontinued fragrances as well as educational sample packs by notes, historical significance, award winners, perfumers, and perfume houses. The new site will also focus on enhanced customer service, realtime inventory controls to track stock, streamlined shipping, and easier site navigation for the beginner as well as the experienced perfumista.  They have a collection of lesser-known perfumers from their extensive global perfume explorations and will continue to expand in that area.  These collections will be  available  in a variety of sampling options.

Both experienced perfumistas, Patty is also owner of Perfume Posse a daily and somewhat irreverent perfume review blog, now in its 7th year.

info via press release

Douce Amere by Serge Lutens: A Predetermined Fate Met

Douce Amère has always been among my favourite Serge Lutens fragrances. It was with a surprised excalamation that I had learned that it would be relegated from the export oblong bottles to the exclusive circuit in Parisian bell jar bottles. I had announced the info I had leaned 2 years ago. It took that long for my info to cross over into tangible reality. But it did in the end. Obviously there was a huge stock of export bottles of Douce Amère that needed to be cleared first. Those of you who had stocked up, you can feel all smug now.

If you have been questioning the accuracy of these "rumours" I had provided some photo evidence of what was about to be done ~again that was about 2 years ago. For now, only 2 out of 4 have materialised. But the photo of the bell jar bottles in all those scents discussed had came from an official source...

Alec Lawless: 1960-2012

An accident in late March cut off the life thread of Alec Lawless, fun personality, communication wizard, scented naturals teacher and mad professor Boris's alter ego.

Alec Lawless was formerly married to Julia Lawless, renowned aromatherapist and author of The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils and he ran an essential oil company called ‘Acqua Oleum’ which supplied companies all over Europe. He's the author of the perfume book Being Led by the Nose, reviewed on these pages, which serves as the perfect compendium on natural materials and blending.
His colourful personality and unique contribution will be missed.

FiFi Semi-Finalists for 2012

The Fragrance Foundation has announced the finalists for the awards they bestow each year to the most successful perfumes in the market. In about a forthnight, during the Fifi Finalists Breakfast, the list will be shortened to include only 5 in each category and on May 21st the final picking of winners will take place. For the moment, these are the semi-finalists.

Women’s Luxe (over 250 doors sales points)

Beyonce Pulse
Bottega Veneta
Elie Saab Le Parfum
Fendi Fan di Fendi
Gucci Guilty Intense
Justin Bieber Someday
Prada Candy
Taylor Swift Wonderstruck
Thierry Mugler Angel Eau de Toilette
Tom Ford Violet Blonde

Men’s Luxe (over 250 sales points)

Giorgio Armani Code Sport
Gucci Guilty Pour Homme
Guess Seductive Homme
Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Toit
John Varvatos Star U.S.A
Lacoste Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Collection
Original Penguin
Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling
Thierry Mugler A*Men Pure Havane
Yves Saint Laurent L’Homme Libre

Women’s Specialty Luxe / Nouveau Niche (sold in between 26 to 250 doors)

Bond No. 9 Madison Square Park
By Kilian Sweet Redemption
Chanel Jersey
Christian Dior Addict to Life
Dolce & Gabbana The Velvet Collection
Giorgio Armani Armani Privé La Femme Bleue
Givenchy Dahlia Noir
Maison Martin Margiela Untitled
Oscar de la Renta Live In Love
Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge

Men’s Specialty Luxe / Nouveau Niche (sold in between 26 to 250 doors)

Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol
Bond No. 9 New York Amber
Bond No. 9 New York Oud
By Kilian Incense Oud
By Kilian Sweet Redemption
Caron Yuzu
Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain
Hugo Boss Boss The Collection
Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge
Yves Saint Laurent Cologne Gingembre

This year’s Hall of Fame inductee will be Coco Chanel.
More award categories at the Fragrance Foundation blog.

Jennifer Love Hewitt Has Them Hooked from the Nose

“I carry McCormick’s Pure Vanilla — the baking kind — and dab it on my neck,” Jennifer Love Hewitt, the popular American actress and producer, tells Us Weekly. “Men are attracted to the scent! One time, I put it on and four different guys were like, ‘You smell amazing!’”

"Vanilla is the bronzer of the fragrance world. In large doses, it's overwhelming, but when used to subtler effect, it can be wonderfully sexy. [...] a great deal of what we associate with vanilla scent, in terms of perfume, is just an approximation, created in a lab, which is then usually wrapped around some other note (fruit, chocolate, musk) for a sickly, cavity-inducing effect. " writes Allure.

Vanilla cooking extract is really vanillin, not the richer, more treackly product of the vanilla pod (which is an orchid), but it has the intensely soft, cuddly scent of childhood. Could it be that the subliminal message is a child-like quality is most desirable? Or is it that triggering a happy time for most people is a feel good, win-win situation?

Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau: fragrance review

Guerlain gives us a vacant eye zombie. Like Natalia Vodianova's baby blues look empty and not quite there in sepia pictures, lacking the density , the pathos, the slicing through paper that darker eyes carry, yet those vacant blues carry their own strange allure, Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau is a very pretty thing posing in a company that it probably shouldn't be among. Taken individually, it is a soft, enveloping, delicate scent of fairies. Taken as a member in the Shalimar company, it's too baby-ish to be taken seriously.

The commercially successful experiment of Shalimar Parfum Initial (2011), an introductory Shalimar for those consumers who knew the brand through their cosmetics &  skincare or for the young clientele that always associated the classic Shalimar with older generations and longed for a version to claim their own (see also Shalimar Eau Legere/Shalimar Light and Eau de Shalimar for previous efforts into this arena), gave us hope. For 2012 Guerlain, as we had early on announced, was bent on launching a flanker to the modernised Shalimar Parfum Initial version (a flanker to a flanker, if you like) this spring, called Shalimar Initial L'Eau.  Now,  this is exactly why I usually tend to dislike the concept of flankers: it's so easy to lose track or confuse things, ending up discussing a completely different thing than your fellow partner in the discussion.

Shalimar Initial L'Eau is both a lighter and drier new formula on the previous experiment, not just a different concentration or a new bottle edition (Shalimar in general knows more limited editions than it can possibly count). The bottle is the exact same style as Shalimar Parfum Initial, only in a lighter hue with a baby pink ribbon on the neck (instead of a greyish blue one) bearing the familiar G medaillon. The similarity leads me to believe that they do intend to keep this version in the line as just a different concentration of the Parfum Initial, not only a one-time-thing limited edition. Especially if it proves a good seller.


Perfumer Thierry Wasser was put on record saying he chose a specific grade of bergamot from a Guerlain communelle (i.e. a special reserve that Guerlain keeps for each of their famous ingredients) which is a tad greener and zestier than usual. What is most distinguishable however, smelling the finished fragrance, is a premium grade neroli which gives a subtle, refreshing tonality, lightening the formula considerably and further making it fluffy and airy. If Shalimar Parfum Initial is a watercolour, this is a rinse. 
Despite the mentioned notes of "greenery" in the official press release, such as lily of the valley, freesia and hyacinth, the vividness of the bright citrus notes with a lightly sweet aspect is what stays with you.
The new spin doesn't really boost the green freshness (like that in Miss Dior Chérie L'Eau) but focuses on the neroli essence and a tart grapefruit top note to counterpoint the traditional carnality of the original base of Shalimar (built on opoponax resin, all powdery splendour, Peru balsam and benzoin with their rich, treackly aspect and quinolines with their leathery, sharp, disturbing bite).
Instead the leathery note in Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau has been further toned down than it was in the Initial (annihilated you could argue) substituted by an admittedly delicious crème brûlée note. Overall we're witnesses to the deliberate culling of the balsamic aspect that makes Shalimar so famous and recognisable.  This leaves us with a spectre; a fascinating apparition amidst the shadows, blink and you'll miss its ethereal form, but is it related to Shalimar of old? No, it's not.


What I find most surprising for a Shalimar version is the relative lack of tenacity and sufficient projection: three generous spritzes on my arm (catching my trench-coat sleeve too)  have lasted just 4 hours and no one but myself was aware of the fact that I was wearing perfume. For an eau de toilette concentration it's not totally unusual, but for Guerlain and for a flanker in that iconic oriental stable it is most peculiar. 


Notes for Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau:
Top: bergamot, grapefruit, neroli
Heart: iris absolute, jasmine grandiflora, rose absolute
Base: tonka bean, vanilla. 


Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau is presented in Eau de Toilette concentration in 40ml (for 37GBP), 60ml (46GBP) and 100ml (64GBP) bottles. 

Flankers/derivative versions of Shalimar by Guerlain (with linked reviews & comparison with original):

Shalimar Eau Legere/Shalimar Light

Eau de Shalimar

Shalimar Ode a la Vanille

Shalimar Parfum Initial

Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau

Limited editions of Shalimar (without change in the perfume formula itself):

Eau de Shalimar Flower

Shalimar Charms edition & Eau de Shalimar Charms edition

Shalimar Fourreau du Soir

Shalimar extrait de parfum in Bacarrat quadrilobe flacon 2011 edition